England’s Red Roses secured a commanding 40-6 victory over France in their final World Cup warm-up match in Mont-de-Marsan, extending their winning streak against Les Bleues to 16 matches. The forward pack was instrumental in all six tries, underlining the physical dominance that has characterised recent encounters between the cross-Channel rivals.
The match, played in sweltering conditions at the Stade André-et-Guy-Boniface, saw England take control from the outset. Morwenna Talling opened the scoring from a driving maul within four minutes, and Amy Cokayne added a second from a similar move ten minutes later. France captain Manaé Feleu was shown a yellow card on the half-hour, and England capitalised with Maud Muir crossing for a third try before the break.
France emerged with renewed urgency in the second half, with Morgane Bourgeois adding two penalties to reduce the deficit to 19-6. However, Megan Jones dashed any hopes of a comeback with a try from a quick penalty, and Lark Atkin-Davies scored twice in the final ten minutes to seal a comprehensive win.
England head coach John Mitchell acknowledged the pressure of hosting the World Cup but embraced the challenge. “It’s a privilege to have this pressure,” he said. “We’ve earned it over this three-year cycle.” France coach Gaëlle Mignot admitted her side had work to do, stating: “We know that if we don’t improve in every sector, we’ll have a hard time during the tournament.”
The two sides are expected to meet again in a potential World Cup semi-final in Bristol. England begin their campaign against the USA in Sunderland on 22 August, while France face Italy in Exeter the following day.
